The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Greatest Guest Stars

A little known fact: We, the world, owe the existence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Will Smith’s financial difficulties. In the heady late 1980s, Smith had squandered his earnings from his rap career and was in deep trouble with the IRS when he was approached by a WB executive about starring in a new show, loosely based on his own persona. Smith’s compromise was our sitcom gain: who can deny the hilarity of the smooth-talking Prince’s dancing or his constant goof-ups with partner-in-crime Jazzy Jeff? Over the six years of the show, Fresh Prince was not only fun, it was culturally relevant. A Young Kathy Griffin had her first television break on the show; and the program hosted numerous big name guests, from Oprah Winfrey to Chris Rock. After the jump, our roundup of some of the best guest stars on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Tyra Banks

The best part of this clip is seeing the now perpetually-svelte Banks in haute ’90s casual — cut-off shirt, flood pants, and a messy ponytail. Tres chic!